Safe & Sound: Part 3 Rollcage Install

We bring in a professional to do the final welding on our Amsoil SEMA Stang’s rollcage.

Marc ChristAssociate Editor

April 12, 2013

Over the past few months, we've slowly built up the rollcage on our Amsoil GT. Truth be told, if we had taken it to a reputable chassis fabrication shop, it would be done by now—but we take pride in wrenching on our project cars ourselves and showing you how we did it. However, by the end of the last segment, the MM&FF team had reached the edge of its abilities.

Enter John Guerriero. Guerriero is the former owner of Chassis Connection Race Cars. He retired to Florida to open Tampa Aquarium Service, and conveniently, lives less than a half hour away from MM&FF headquarters. So we brought him out of retirement to give us a hand.

We trimmed-to-fit and tacked the entire S&W Race Cars cage in place using our Lincoln Electric 216 MIG welder, which we're comfortable using. And since the cage is chromoly, it must be final welded with a TIG welder. Your author has been trained to use a TIG welder, and I would even go as far to say that I could lay a decent bead. But some things should be left to the professionals, and this is one of them in my book.

It takes a certain level of confidence with the TIG torch to be good at TIG welding. And to be that comfortable with the TIG welder, it takes time and experience—of which Guerriero has plenty to offer. He owned and operated Chassis Connection from 1982 until 2000.

Though he has moved on to owning yet another business, Guerriero still possesses the skills we needed to lay down welds that will pass the scrutiny of the NHRA official who will be certifying our rollcage.